Apparatus for removing material from the surface of filter-beds.



No. 763,354. PATENTED JUNE 28, 1904.

H. W. BLAISDELL. APPARATUS FOR REMOVING MATERIAL FROM THE SURFACE OF FILTER BEDS.

APPLTOATION FILED JUNE 3, 1903.

H0 MODEL. 6 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

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APPLICATION FILED JUNE 8, 1903.

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No. 763,354. RATENTED JUNE 28, 1904.

H. W. BLAISDELL. APPARATUS FOR REMOVING MATERIAL FROM THE SURFACE OF FILTER BEDS. APPLIOAHON FILED JUNE 8,1903.

H0 MODEL. 6 SHEETS-SHEET 3. J

\X/iT E5555: Y W/ENTU 27M (5 Ytuanx (jofxska No. 763,354. PATENTED JUNE 28, 1904.

H. W. BLAISDELL.

APPARATUS FOR REMOVING MATERIAL FROM THE SURFACE OF FILTER B BDS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 8,1903.

N0 MODEL.

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@LW CW ii? ITO. 763,354. PATENTED JUNE 28, 1904.

H. W. BLAISDELL. APPARATUS FOR REMOVING MATERIAL FROM THE SURFACE OF FILTER BEDS.

APPLIOATIOI FILED JUNE 8, 1903.

N0 MODEL. 6 SHEETS-SHEET 5.

No. 763,354. PATENTED JUNE 28, 1904. H. W. BLAISD ELL. APPARATUS FOR REMOVING MATERIAL FROM THE SURFACE OF FILTER BEDS.

APPLIOATIOH FILED JUNE 8,1903.

I0 MODEL. 6 SHEETS-SHEET 6.

Qatented June 28, 19044 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HIRAM W. 'BLAISDELL, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.-

APPARATUS FOR REMOVING MATERIAL FROMTHE SURFACE OF FILTER-BEDS.

' SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 763,354, dated June 28, 1904-.

h Application filed June 8, 1903. Serial No. 160,637. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern: 3 v

. Be it known that I, HIRAM W. 'BLAIsDaLL,

- a citizen of the United States, residing at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Removing Material from the Surface of Filter- Beds, of whichthe following isaspecifica tion.

This invention relates to an improved apparatus for removing sand from the Surface of sand filter-beds used in purifying the supply of water to cities and towns. These filters are of various kinds and are usually laid out in a series of beds made of sand and inclosed by walls running longitudinally and I transversely thereof. The'water is introduced into the basin formed by the said walls and filters and passes through the sand forming ficiency of the filter-bed, and it becomes necessary to remove this film or crust and the sand upon the surface of the bed. It is desirable in removing the sand from the surface of the filter-beds to remove the same to a certain depth, leaving a smooth even surface. The filter-beds are of large area, and to remove the sand, as hereinbefore set forth, from the surface of the beds without the aid of machinery or mechanical apparatus involves an enormous amount of labor and expense; and it is therefore the object of this invention to provide an apparatus which will remove the sand from the surface of the sand filter-beds to a certain depth, leaving an even and clean surface of sand.

It is the further object of this invention to provide a simple and durable machine for the purpose hereinbefore set forth and to provide a machine which shall be adapted to follow the inequalities of the surface of the filter-bed and remove the sand therefrom to an equal depth throughout the entire surface of said filter-bed.

its construction a rotary helical scraper adapted to remove sand from the surface of said filter-beds.

The invention again consists, in an apparatus of the character described, of a carriage arranged and adapted to travel over the surface of said filter-beds, a carrier-frame arranged to slide verticallyupon said carriage, an auxiliary carrier-frame arranged to slide vertically upon said carrier frame, and a scraper supported upon said auxiliary carrierframe.

The invention again consists in the instrumentalities hereinbefore set forth, in combination with a gage-shoe fast to the auxiliary carrier-frame, which regulates the amount or thickness of material removedfrom the surmoving sand from the surface of sand filterbeds, showing the same in position with relation to a transverse section of a filter-bed, said apparatus being partly broken'away to save space in the drawings. Fig. 2 is. a side elevation of my improved apparatus shown in connection with a portion of a sand filter-bed, said sand filter-bed being shown in longitudinal section and the apparatus partly broken away to save space in the drawings. Fig. 3

' I rier-frame.

-is a detail side elevation of the carrier-frame,

auxiliary carrier-frame, scraper, and elevatorbelt-driving mechanism shown in connection with a portion of a sand filter-bed. Fig. 4 is a detail horizontal section taken on line 4 4 of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail section on line 5 5 of Fig. 3. Fig. 6 is anenlarged plan view of the gage-shoe, a portion of the auxiliary carrier-frame being shown in section therein. Fig. 7 is a sectional elevation taken on line 7 7 of Fig. 6 looking toward the left in said figure. Fig. 8 is a section on line 8 8 of Fig, 6. Fig. 9 is a side elevation similar to Fig. 3,.illustrating a modified arrangement of scraper and conveyer belt, the same being broken away to save space in the drawings. Fig. 10 is a horizontal detail section taken on line 10 10 of Fig. 9. Fig. 11 .is a detail side elevation similar toFig. 3 of a carrier-frame with the scraper, elevator-belt, and driving mechanism supported directly upon said car- Fig. 12 is a side elevation of a portion of the carrier-frame and a modified means of connecting the screw-threaded block thereto, and Fig. 13 is a section taken on line 13 13, Fig. 12.

Like numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views of the drawings.

In the drawings, 15 is a carriage formed of steel beams, trusses, ties, and stay-rods and provided with wheels 16, arranged to run upon tracks 17, said tracks being located upon opposite banks 18 19 of the filter-bed 20. The

car'riage15 is propelled along the tracks 17 by an electric motor 21,-operativelyconnected by a belt 22 to a pulley 23. The pulley 23 is fast' to a shaft 24, journaled in bearings upon the carriage 15. Two spur-gears 25 and 26 rotate freely upon the shaft 24 and are locked to said shaft by clutches 27 and 28, respectively, said clutches being splined to the shaft 24. The

-. clutch 27 is moved longitudinally.of the shaft 24 by means of' a lever 29, pivoted at 30 to a' bracket 31, fast to the carriage 15. The clutch 28 is moved longitudinally of the shaft 24 and into and out of connection with the gear 26v by a lever 32, pivoted at 33 to the bracket 31 and actuated by a link 34, pivotally connected to the lever 29. The gear 25 meshes into a gear 35, and the gear 26 meshes into a gear 36, said gears 35 and 36 being fast to shaft 37, arranged to rotate in bearings upon the carriage 15. The relative diameters of the gears 25 and 35 and 26 and 36 are so proportioned that when the clutch 27 is thrown into engagement with the gear 25 the shaft 37 will be rotated at a speed comparatively much slower than that at which it is rotated when the clutch 28 is thrown into engagement with the gear 26 and the shaft 37 is rotated by the gears 26 and 36.

At the opposite ends of the shaft 37 are fastened bevel-gears 38, which mesh into bevelgears 39, fast to shafts 40, said shafts 4O hav ing fastened thereto worms 41, which engage worm-gears 42, fast to shafts 43. The shafts 43 are journaled to rotate in journal-boxes 44,

fast to the carriage 15, and have fastened-to them two of the wheels 16 upon which the carriage 15 is supported. It will thus be seen that the carriage 15 is propelled either at a slow or fast speed by means of the motor 21 through the belt 22, pulley 23, shaft24, gears 25 and 35, (or 26 and 36,- as the case may be,) shaft 37, bevel-gears 38 and 39, and wormgearing 41 and 42.

The sand is removed from the surface 45 of the filter-bed by a rotary helical scraper 46.

The rotary helical scraper 46 consists of a sheet-metal blade 47, bent to form a righthand helix and fastened toarms 48, said arms being fastened to a rotary shaft 49, journaled I to rotate in bearings formed in an auxiliary carrier-frame 50, and, further, said rotary helical scraper consists of a left-handed helical scraper-blade 51, fast to said shaft 49 by arms 52. Between the adjacent ends of the right-hand scraper-blade 47 and the left-hand scraper-blade 51 is a pulley 53, fast to the shaft 49. An elevator-belt 54, provided with buckets 55, passes around the pulley 53 and thence around a driving-pulley 56, fast to a shaft 57, journaled upon the auxiliary carrierframe 50. The shaft 57 has a gear 58 fast thereto, which meshes into a pinion 59, fast to a shaft-60, journaled upon the auxiliary carrier-frame 50. The shaft 60 has a pulley 61 fast thereto, driven by a belt 62, said belt being driven by a pulley 63, fast to the motor-shaft 64 of the 4 electric motor 65,

Fig. 2. The sand from the surface 45 of the filter-bed is carried by the right and left hand IOO helical scraper-blades 47 and51, respectively,"

to the elevator-belt 54,-whence it is carried by said elevator-belt, vbymeans of the buckets 55, upwardly over the pulley 56 and emptiedinto the chute66, Fig. 2. The materialpasses down the chute 66 and is discharged upon a conveyer-belt 67 The conveyer-belt 67 is driven by a pulley 68, fast to a shaft 69, journaled in bearings upon the carriage 15. Said shaft 69 is driven by a pulley 7 0 fast thereto,

- to which rotary motion is imparted by a belt .71, which in turn is driven by a pulley 72,

fast to the driving-shaft 73 of an electric motor 74, said electric motor being supported.

upon a platform 75 upon the carriage 15,

Figs. 1 and 2. It is evident that an endless,

chain with buckets attached thereto may be -used in lieu of an endless belt.- The conveyer-belt 67 passes from the pulley 68 around an idler-pulley 76, journaled in boxes 77,- adjustablyfastened to the carriage 15. Said conveyer-belt is guided to assume a V shape in cross-section midway between the pulleys 68 and 76 byidler-pulleys 78 78. It willthus be seen and understood that the material scraped from the surface 45 of the filter-bed by the rotary scraper-blades is conveyed by I the buckets 55 upon the elevator-belt 54 upsurface of the filter-bed will then be dumped at the left of the carriage 15, Fig. 1, instead of at the right, as hereinbefore described.

The auxiliary carrier-frame 50'is provided with guide-wheels80, arranged to rotate with their peripheries in contact with the inner faces of the upright beams 81 81 of a carrierframe 82. The carrier-frame 82 is guided by wheels 83 83, journaled upon the uprights 84 of the carriage 15. The said carrier-frame 82 is provided with a pulley 85,, journaled upon the upper cross-beam 86 of said carrierframe, and over this pulley runs a wire cable 87, connected at one end to the'upper crossbeam 88 of the auxiliary carrier-frame 50,

and at the other end said cable is fast to av counterweight 89 of suificient weight to very nearly counterbalance the weight of the auxiliary carrier-frame and the parts directly supported -thereon..

The carrier-frame 82 is raised and lowered by means of vertical screws 90 90, which engage at their lower ends with screw-threaded blocks 91, pivoted at 92 to the carrier-frame 82, Fig. 5. At the upper ends thereof each f said screws 90 rotates in a bearing 93, proiiided in the carriage 15, and has fast thereto a bevel-gear 94, which meshes into a bevelgear-95, fast to a horizontal shaft 96, journaled in bearings 97 97, fast to the upper cross-beam 98 of the carriage 15. The shaft 96 is rotated by a bevel-gear 99, fast thereto, and meshing into a bevel-gear 100, fast to a shaft 101, journaled in bearings upon the carriage 15 and rotated by a pulley 102, fast to said shaft 101, in its turn rotated byaa belt 103, which is driven by a pulley I104, fast to the driving-shaft of an electric motor 106, said electric motor being supported upon the carriage 15. The bevel-gear 100 is locked to the shaft 101 by a clutch 107, which is moved lengthwise of the shaft 101 into and out of contact with said gear by means of a lever 108, pivoted at 109 to the carriage 15.

The depth to which the helical scraperblades 47 and 51 project below the surface of the filter-bed is regulated by a gage-shoc 110, adjustably fastened to the auxiliary carrierframe 50. The gage-shoe 110 is rigidly fastened to two journal cap-blocks 111 111, Figs. 6, 7, and 8. Said cap-blocks are arranged to rock upon journals 112 113, being fastened to a cap 114, fast to a slide 115. The cap 114 is fastened to the slide 115 by bolts 116 116,

screw-threaded engagement therewith at its upper end, said nut being located between two cars 120 120, fast to the'vertical side piece 117. After the rod has been rotated until the shoe has been raised or lowered to the required location with relation to the periphery of the. helical scraper-blades and the. surface of the sand filter-bed said rod is locked in position by means of set-nuts, as shown. It will be seen that by loosening the set-nuts above and below the ears 120 and rotating the nut 119 the adjusting-rod 118 will raise or lower, as the case may be, the slide 115 and cap 114, together with the gage-shoe 110, and thus the location of said shoe will be varied'with relation to the periphery of the rotary helicalscraper 46.

The auxiliary carrier-frame 50 has fast to the vertical side pieces117 angle-irons 134, which areengaged by the lower horizontal cross-piece upon the carrier-frame 82 when said carrierframe is raised by means of the screws 90 90,, and upon furthe'rmotation of said screws the carrier-frame, together with-the auxiliary carrier-frame, will move upwardly together. Upon a reverse movement of the screws and after the shoe 110 has come to a bearing upon the surface of. 'the fiIter-bed further movement of the "screws will cause the carrierframe to descend until the lower horizontal cross-piece thereon becomes disengaged from the angle-irons 134, andsaid auxiliary carvaryingsurface of the filter-bed as the shoe 110 travels thereover. j

In the drawings, Fig.- 1, I have shown'two carrier} frames and two auxiliary carrierframes, together with the scraping, elevating,

and conveying mechanism hereinbefore 'de- I scribed upon each of said auxiliary carrierframes. By using a sufficient number of carrier-frames and the mechanism hereinbefore described supported thereon a layer of sand from the entire surface of afilter-bed may be removed by the mechanism-hereinbefore desaid filter-bed. It will be understood that the carrier frame, auxiliary carrier frame, elevator-belt, and helical scrapers are duplicated all the different sets of scraping mechanisms. It will be'seen that the screws9090 raise and lower the carrier-frames 82 when it is desired to raise or lower the scraping mechanism to any considerable extentsuch as, for instance, in passing from one filter-bed to another, where it is desired to raise the scraping mech- IOO , rier-frame will then be free to move upwardly and downwardly to accommodate itself to the I05 'scribed while traveling once lengthwise of for each set of scraping mechanisms, but that a single conveyer-belt receives material from -anism above the top of the walls inclosing said filter-bed; but for all slight variations in height the auxiliary carrier-frame 50 will be raised and lowered, together with the'scraping mechanism carried thereon, by the gageshoe 110 as it travelsupon the surface of the filter-bed, and any inequalities orundulations in the surface of the filter-bed will be compensated for by said auxiliary carrier-frame being raised and lowered by said adjustable gage-shoe 110 as it travels over and rests upon the surface of the bed. 1

The general operation of themechanism' hereinbefore specifically described is as follows: Assuming the carriage 15 to be at one end of a filter-bed, the carrier-frame 82,-together with the auxiliary frame and mechanismthereon,-is lowered by means of the screws 90 90, operated by the mechanism hereinbefore described from the motor 106 until the gage-shoe 110 rests upon the surface of the filter-bed. The depth of out which it is de' sired to take from the surface of the filter-bed is adjusted, as hereinbefore' described, bythe relative location of the gage-shoe 110 to the helical scraper 46. The-carriage is next propelled lengthwise of the filter-bed by the electrio motor 21 and mechanism connecting said electric motor, hereinbefore described, to the wheels 16 and shafts 43. Simultaneously with thecomruencement of the forward motion of said carriage the scrapers 46 are rotated by means of the electric motor 65 through the belt 62 and elevator-belt 54, the sand removed from the surface of the filter-bed by the helical scrapers being carried by the elevator-belt 54 and buckets 5.5 upwardly and dumped into the chutes 66, whence the material i sconveyed to the'conveyer-belt 67, said conveyer-belt carrying the material dumped upon it, as hereinbefore described, over the pulley 76 and dumping the material into the dump-car 79, the conveyerbelt being driven by the mo tor 74. I

In Figs. 9 and 10 a modified form of scrapin'g mechanism is illustrated in which a pulley 121 is fastened to a shaft 122, said pulley be,-

' ing rotated by the elevator-belt 54. The rotary scraper 46 is rotated by a sprocket-gear 123, fast to the shaft 49 and rotated by a sprocket-chain 124, said sprocket-chain being driven by a sprocket-gear 125, fast to the 'shaft122l A space 126 is left betweenthe adjacent ends of the right and left hand scraper-blades, and the material scraped into said space by said scraper-blades is guided by guide-plates 127 127 to the elevator-belt 54. The guideplates 12 7 are supported upon brackets 128, fast to the cross-beam 129, said .60 cross-beam being fastened to'the auxiliary carrier-frame 50.

In both of the forms of scraping apparatus hereinbefore described stationary scrapingblades 130 are provided fastened to theaux- 5 iliary carrier-frame 50, said scraping-blades assisting the rotary scrapers by plowing fur rows in advancethereof upon eachside of the auxiliary carrier-frame.

While I prefer to employ in my improved I apparatus for scraping sand filters a carrier' frame arranged to slide vertically upon a carriage adapted vto travel over the surface of said filter-beds and in addition to employ an,

auxiliary carrier-frame adapted to slide upon said carrier-frame, with means to'p'ositively :15 raise and lower said carrierframe, as hereinbeforedescribed, and illustrated in the drawings, Figs. 1 to 10, inclusive, it is evident that the rotary helical scraper and the mechanism by which it is driven, together with-the conveyer-belt and the adjustable'shoe, which regulates the depthpf .cut of said'helical scraper below. the surface of the filter-bed, I may be supported directly upon a carrier frame and the auxiliary carrier-frame omitted from the apparatus, and in Fig, 111 have illustrated such a construction, in which the carrier-frame 131 isconstructed by combining the auxiliary carrier-frame 50 and the carrierframe 82 by extending the upper and lower cross-beams of the auxiliary carrier-frame and fastening them rigidly to the upright beams 81 81 of said carrier-frame 82. The counterweight 89' is fastened to a cable 87', which extends over a pulley (notshown) journaled upon the carriage 15 and is fastened at one end to the upper. cross-beam 86-of the carrier-frame 131. The carrier-frame 131 is ,raised and lowered by means of the vertical screws 90 90, as in the form hereinbefore described. The gage shoe,. rotary helical scraper, conveyer-belt, and the mechanism by which said -conveyerbelt is driven are the "same in the form of device illustrated in Fig.

111as in the form hereinbefore described, and illustrated in Figs. 1 to 10, inclusive, and therefore no detailed description of the same is necessary. a

When the auxiliary carrier-frame and the carrier-frame are combined in one, as hereinbefore described and illustrated in Fig. 11, it is necessary that thereshould be freedom for the carrier-frame 131 to rise and fall according to the undulating surface'of the filter-bed as the carriage is propelled thereover. If the screws 90 were to engage in this form a screwthreaded block 91, pivoted to the carrierframe at 92, as hereinbefore described, it is evident that no variation in height could be obtained for said carrier-frame 131 as the shoe traveled over theiundulating surface of the filter bed, and in order to obtain this result'the pivots 92 of. the screw-threaded block 91 extend into slots 132 132, provided in ears 1'33, fast to the upper cross-beam 86, so that after the shoe comes to a bearing upon the surface of thefilter-bed a continued rotation of the vertical screws 90 will cause the blocks 91 to move downwardly until the from the upper ends of the slots 132 132. It will then be evidentthat the carrier-frame 131 will be free to move upwardly and downwardly asthe shoe passes over the undulating surface of-the filter-bed, the pivots 92 proje'cting into the slots132, and thus allowing this freedom of movement to the carrier-frame,

WhilelI have described my device as used for cleaning the surface of sand filter-beds, it is evident that the same may be used forcleaning filter-beds of other material thansand and also that thesame mechanism may be used for removing material from receptacles ofvarious .kinds without departing from the spirit of my invention.

I Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire by Letters Patent to secure, 1s r 1. In an apparatus for removing material from the surface of filter-beds, a carriage ar- I rangedto travel longitudinally of said filterbeds, a conveyer, mechanism to operate said conveyer, and an endless bucket'elevator at tached thereto constructed to carry the material from the surface of said filter-beds to said conveyer.

- 2. In an apparatus for removing material from the surface of filter-beds, a carriage'arranged to travel longitudinally of said filterbeds, a conveyer, mechanism to move said conveyer transversely of said carriage, a scraper adaptedto remove material from the surface of said filter-beds, and an elevator to carry said material from said scraper to said coi1- veycr. v

3. In an apparatus for removing material from the surface of filter-beds, a carriage arranged to travel over the surface of said filterbeds, a conveyer located upon said carriage,

mechanism to scrape the material from the surface of said filter-beds, andan endless bucket elevator attached thereto constructed to carry the material from said scraper to said conveyer..

4. In an apparatus for removing material from the surface of filter-beds, a carriage arranged to travel longitudinally of said filterbeds, a conveyer, mechanism to operate said conveyer, an endless bucket elevator attached thereto constructed to carry the material from 7 In an apparatus for removing material from the surface of filter-beds, a carriage arranged to travel over the surface of said filterbeds, a carrier-frame arranged to slide vertically upon said carriage, a scraper supported upon said carrier-frame, a gage-shoe fastto said carrier-frame, and means to adjust said" shoe vertically with relation to said scraper.

8. In an apparatus for removing material from the surface of filter-beds, a canriage arranged to travel over the surfaceof said filterbeds, a carrier-frame arranged to slide vertically upon said carriage, a scraper supported upon said carrier-frame, and a gage-shoe pivotally, supported upon said carrier-frame.

9. In an apparatus for removing material from the surface of filter-beds, a carriage arranged to travel over the surface of said filtercally upon said carriage, a scraper supported beds, a carrier-frame arranged to slide vertiupon said carrier-frame, an elevator, mechan-' ism to operate said elevator supported upon said carrier-frame, a conveyer, and operative mechanism therefor supported uponsaid carriage. I r

10. In an apparatus for removing material from the surface of filter-beds, acarriage arranged to travel over the surface of said filterbeds, a carrier-frame arranged to slide vertically upon saidcarriage, a scraper supported upon said carrier-frame, an elevator, mechanism to. operate said elevator supported upon said carrier-frame,acon veyer, operative mech- V anism therefor supported upon said carriage, and meansrto guide material from said eleva: tor to said conveyer.

11. In an apparatus for removing material A from the surface of filter-beds, a carriage'arranged to travel over the surface of said filter beds, a carrier-frame arranged to slide verticallyupon said carriage, and a rotary helical scraper .journaled upon said carrier-frame.

- 12. In an apparatus for removing material from the surface of filter-beds, a carriage ar-- ranged to travel over the surface of said filterbed's,.a carrier-frame arranged'to slide vertically upon said carriage, a rotary helical IIO scraper journaled upon said carrier-frame, an

elevator provided with buckets, and mechanism to drive said elevator supported upon said carrier-frame.

13. In an apparatus for removing material from the surface of filter-beds, a carriage-arranged to travel over the surface of said filterbeds, a carrier-frame arranged to slide verti-v cally upon said carriage,-a rotatory shaft journaled upon saidcarrier-frame, right and left hand helical scraper blades fast to said shaft, and a pulley fast to said shaft between the adjacent ends of said helical scraper-blades.

14. In an apparatus for removing material from the surface of filter-beds, a carriage arbeds, a carrier-frame arranged to slide vertically upon said carriage, a rotatory shaft ourranged to travel over the surface of said filter- 'naled upon said carrier-frame, right and left hand helical scraper-blades fast to said shaft,.

a pulley fastto said shaft between the.adjacent ends of said helical scraper-blades, an ele-- vator engaging said pulley, and mechanism supported upon 'said carrier-frame to drive;

said elevator. y

15. In an apparatus for removing material from the surface of filter-beds, a carriage, mechanism to move said carriage over the surface of said filter-beds, a carrier-frame, mechanism to raise and lower said carrier-frame supported upon said carriage.

16. In an apparatus for removing material upon said' carriage, a rotary helical scraper journaled u pon said carrier-frame, an elevator,

and mechanism to operate said elevator supported upon said carrier-frame, together witha conveyer and operative mechanism therefor from the'surface of filter-beds, a carriage arranged to travel over the surface of said filterbeds, a carrier-frame arranged to slide vertically upon said carriage, an auxiliary carrierframe arranged to slide verticallyupon said carrier-frame, and a scraper supported upon said auxiliary carrier-frame;

17. In an apparatus for removing material from the surface of filter-beds, a carriage arranged to travel over the surface of said filterbeds, a carrier-frame arranged to slide vertically upon said carriage, an auxiliary carrierframe arranged to slide vertically upon said carrier-frame, a scraper supported upon said auxiliary carrier-frame, and a gage-shoe fast to .said auxiliary carrier-frame. i

18. In an apparatus for removing material from the surfaceiof filter-beds, a carriage arranged to travel over the'surface of said filterbeds, a carrier frame arranged to slidevertically upon sald carnage, an auxiliary carrierframe arranged toshde vertically upon said carrier-frame, a scraper supported upon'said auxiliary carrier-frame, a gage-shoe fast to said auxiliary carrier-frame, and means to adjust-said shoe vertically with relation to said scraper.

19. In an apparatus for removing-material from the surface of filter-beds, a carriage arranged to travel over the surface of said filterbeds, a carrier-frame arranged to slide vertically upon said carriage, an auxiliary carrierframe arranged to slide vertically upon said carrier-frame, a scraper supported uponsaid auxiliary carrier-frame, and a gage-shoe pivotally supported upon said aux liary carrler-i frame.

20. In an apparatus for removing material from the surface of filter-beds, a carriage arranged to travel overthe. surface of said filter-. beds, a carrier-frame arranged to slide vertically upon said carriage, an auxiliary carrierframe arranged to slide vertically upon said carrier-frame, a scraper supported upon said auxiliary carrier-frame, an elevator, and mechanism to operate said elevator supportedlupon said auxiliary carrier-frame.

21. Iuan apparatus for removing material from the surface of filter-beds, a carriage arranged to travel over the surface of said filterbeds, a carrier-frame arranged to slide verti--- cally upon said carriage, an auxiliary carrierframe arranged to slide vertically upon said carrier-frame, a scraper supported upon said auxiliary carrier-frame, an elevator,,mechanism to operate said elevator supported upon said auxiliary carrier 'fra'me, a conve'yer, and

operative mechanism therefor supported upon said'carriage. I i v 22. In an apparatus for removing material from the surface of filter-beds, a carriage arranged to travel over the. surface of said filter beds, a carrier-frame arranged to slide vertically upon said carriage, an auxiliary carrierframe arranged to slide vertically upon said carrier-frame, a scraper supported'upon said auxiliary carrier-frame, an elevator,.mechanism to operate said elevator supported upon said auxiliary carrier-frame, a conveyer, operative mechanism therefor supported upon a said carriage, and means to guide material from said elevator to said conveyer.

l 23. In an apparatus for removing material 7 from the surface of filter-beds, a carriage arranged to travel over the surface of said filterbeds, a carrier-frame arranged to slide vertically upon said carriage,.an auxiliary carrierframe arranged to slide vertically upon said carrier frame, and a rotary helical-scraper journaled upon said auxiliary carrier-frame.

24. In an apparatus for removing material fromthe surface of filter-beds, a carriage ar-- ranged to travel over the surface of said filterbeds, acarrier-frame arranged to slide vertically upon said carriage,an auxiliary'carrierframe arranged to slide vertically upon said carrier-frame, a rotary helical scraper journaled upon said auxiliary carrier-frame, an elevator provided with buckets, and mechanism to drive said elevator supported upon "said auxiliary carrier-frame.

a 25. In an apparatus for removing material from the surface of filter-beds, a carriage arranged to travel over the surface of said filterbeds, a carrier-frame arranged to slide vcrti-. cally upon said carriage, an auxiliary carrier'- frame arranged to slidevertically upon said carrier-frame, a rotatory shaft journaled upon said auxiliary carrier-frame, right and left hand helical scraper-blades fast to said shaft,-

vertically upon said carrier-frame, a counterbalance supported upon said carrier-frame connected to said auxiliary carrier-frame, and a. scraper supported upon said auxiliary carrier-frame.

' 28. In an apparatus for removing material from the surface of filter-beds, a carriage, mechanism to move said carriage over the surface of said filter-beds, a carrier-frame, mechanism to raise and lower said carrierframe upon said carriage, an auxiliary carrier-frame arranged to slide vertically upon said carrier-frame, a rotary'helical scraper journaled upon said auxiliary carrier-frame,

an elevator, and mechanism to operate said elevator supported upon said auxiliary carrier-frame, together with a conveyer and 0perative mechanism therefor supported upon said carriage.

29. In an apparatus for removing material from a receptacle, a carri age arrangedto travel over said receptacle, a eonveyeron said car- ..riage, and an endless elevator on said carriage constructed to carry material from said receptacle to said conveyer, p

30. In an apparatus for removing material from a receptacle, a carriage arranged to travel over said receptacle, an endless conveyer upon said carriage, mechanism for moving said conveyer, an endless elevator upon said carriage constructed to carry material from said receptacle to said endless conveyer, and means for conveying the material in said receptacle to said endless elevator.

31. In an apparatus for removing material I from the surface of filter-beds, a carriage ar ranged to travel over the surface of said filterbeds, a conveyer on said carriage, an elevator constructed to carry the material from said filterbeds to said conveyer, and means, governed by the surface of said filter-beds, for regulating the depth of cut of said elevator.

32. In an apparatus for removing material from the surface of filter-beds, a carriage arranged to travel over said filter-beds, a conveyer, mechanism for operating said conveyer, an elevator constructed to carry said material from said filter-beds to said conveyer, and means, governed by the surface of said filter-beds, for regulating the depth of cut of said elevator. I

33. In an apparatus for removing material from the surface of filter-beds, a carriage arranged to travel over said filter-beds, a conveyer,mechanism for operating said conveyer, an elevator constructed to carry said material from said filterbeds to said conveyer and mechanism for conveying the material in said filter-beds to said elevator, the depth of cut of said mechanism being regulated by the surface of the filter-beds.

34.. In an apparatus for removing material from filter-beds, a carriage arranged to travel over said filter-beds, a conveyer located on said carriage, mechanism to scrape material from said filter-beds, and an endless elevator constructed to carry material from said scraper to said conveyer.

35. In an apparatus for removing material from filter-beds, a carriage arranged to travel over said filter-beds, a conveyer, mechanism to move said conveyer transversely of said carriage, an endless elevator constructed to carry material from said filter-beds to said transverse conveyer. In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HIRAM W. BLAISDELL.

Witnesses:

E. E. SMITH, A. J. FLoREs. 

